CLOWN Has 'A Really, Really Spiritual Feeling' About SLIPKNOT's Next Album

In a new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "The End, So Far" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. I mean, basically we're very fortunate right now. COVID did really kind of screw everything up. We were supporting [2019's] 'We Are Not Your Kind'. COVID hit, ended that cycle. We decided to write during that whole lockdown. We came out with 'The End, So Far'. This time, we're gonna go out and celebrate 25 years [of the release of SLIPKNOT's debut album] and kind of end 'The End, So Far'. And then yes, writing is very soon. And the good news is, like, we've reached a point where we've accomplished everything we wanted to try for ourselves. So we wanted to leave the book open to everything. And I think that we've really accomplished that. So now I think because of the lineup and where we're at and what we've done, I have a really, really spiritual feeling about this next one. So, I feel like it's gonna be — not that anyone has not liked or liked what we've done, I'm just saying I have a feeling this one is much needed for everybody. And I think it's gonna be widely accepted. So I'm very excited. Especially with Eloy [Casagrande, new SLIPKNOT drummer] being in the band and the other guys, there's a lot being brought to the table, and that is very, very exciting."

Crahan also once again talked about SLIPKNOT's plans to put out a set of 11 previously unreleased songs recorded by four members of the band during the sessions for its 2008 LP "All Hope Is Gone". Crahan originally revealed the existence of the music in 2018, saying that he, singer Corey Taylor, guitarist Jim Root and DJ Sid Wilson wrote and laid down the more psychedelic-flavored tunes at a separate studio during an impasse in the recording of "All Hope Is Gone".

"The only reason why it's not been out is because it's a timeless album," he explained. "It can be released 10 years ago, 10 years from now, today, so on and so forth. And the main reason, and this sounds like B.S., but this is the truth, every time we've gotten it to a place where we were gonna pull the trigger, life has thrown the band through a circumstance of some sorts. For instance, the artwork's done, the mixing is done, the mastering is done — it's all done. But we like to promote things so everyone gets that chance. And then what happens is something like COVID hits and then maybe someone in the band goes and does other things. So what we've gotta do is we've gotta put our attention to those things. And we're not trying to make 'Look Outside Your Window' that has to force things to stop, but other things are making it stop, 'cause we're not making it a priority. But I sort of put my foot down because I'm tired of hearing everybody — not the fans or yourself, but guys in the band that are on it. It's been so long now that they just laugh. And I laugh too, but I do believe we're gonna get it out this year. I don't see it as one of these things… It's not like we're gonna go tour it. That doesn't mean we won't play some shows; I don't know. But it's really just a gift for ourselves. So, I'd really like it. It is gonna come out. You have my word. There's no drama. It needs its right time. It needs its own space and not to share with anybody or anything else. So it has its due time in this reality. So that's all I can say."

One of the songs from "Look Outside Your Window", "'Til We Die", surfaced on the digipak of "All Hope Is Gone", but the rest have not been made available anywhere.

In 2019, Taylor described the material on "Look Outside Your Window" to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" as "experimental," "super vibey" and "super melodic." He added: "There's something about those songs. They're very solemn, very energetic, very artistic. For people who are used to a certain way of SLIPKNOT sounding, this doesn't sound anything like that. It's much more of a rock vibe. Honestly, it's much more of a RADIOHEAD vibe, to be honest."

According to Taylor, the music that was recorded for "Look Outside Your Window" was originally supposed to be released simultaneously with the "All Hope Is Gone" tracks, but the plan never quite came together.

"Man, I tried like hell to make those two worlds come together — 'All Hope Is Gone' and 'Look Outside Your Window' — to the point where I was taking songs from both and kind of putting them together, like arrangement, sequencing," Corey told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I had two different versions of 'All Hope Is Gone' that I had put together with songs from that. And just honestly, because of the emotional rifts that were in the band, the turmoil that was going on, nobody wanted to try and make that work. So what we ended up with was 'All Hope Is Gone' and then this unreleased album, which we've been trying to find a way to release this for a really long time."

This past May, SLIPKNOT revealed that a new song "Long May You Die" was recorded during recent sessions with Casagrande.

In an interview with Brazil's Veja São Paulo, Eloy hinted that he and his new bandmates had worked on new material together, saying: "I think that was also part of the audition. They threw new ideas at me to see what my songwriting was like," he said. "They wanted to test me in every way."

However, Casagrande clarified that "I'm still trying to understand how the dynamics of the band work. It's not so clear yet how things work in terms of records and new songs. We've written a few things, and they're shelved for the time being.

"I don't think there's any pressure to record new material," he added. "But I'm sure they want to, I don't know when, because right now the band is focused on celebrating its 25th anniversary."

SLIPKNOT has played a handful of shows so far with Casagrande, including on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California, April 27 at Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada and May 12 at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida.

For all the gigs so far in 2024, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer four months ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA nearly five months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA nearly 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

"The End, So Far" arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

SLIPKNOT recently announced the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour. In addition to the already announced dates across the globe, the "Here Comes The Pain" tour, produced by Live Nation, includes arena plays nationwide this summer. Highlights include New York City's Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles's Intuit Dome, Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE. ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED are confirmed as support on select dates.